Weekend Predictions...

Obviously, what I say here means nothing. There is no way to predict this NFL season, which has been one crazy twist after another. I would just say that I am looking forward to enjoying all four games as an impartial observer (I am even going to work hard not to root against the Eagles in the NFC Championship). I have a lot to say about one game, and not much to say about the other.


First....



That still happened, and I need to keep reminding myself of that in order to keep a healthy perspective on things.




Here we go:


NFC: Cardinals (+3) over Eagles: It's becoming more and more clear that the Cardinals started leaving their playbook at home on Sundays after they clinched. We thought they had abandoned the run. Teams were blowing them out because they knew exactly what to expect and Arizona wasn't showing anything new. I've heard them scorned by a lot of people for this over the past week, and I can't understand why. They play in a shitty division. That's not their fault. Every little edge counts in the NFL, and this was a brilliant move.

I love the type of momentum that Arizona has heading into this weekend. Larry Fitzgerald has looked like Spiderman. Even with Anquan Boldin out of the lineup, Fitzgerald has elevated the level of his play (which I didn't think was possible given the great year that he had) in the playoffs. Boldin will be back this week, and frankly I don't see how the Eagles secondary can stop these guys.

Don't get me wrong, the Philly secondary has been good for a long time. But, you can beat them with size. That's always been the case. That's why Plaxico Burress was such a big signing for the Giants in 2005 (and such a huge loss in 2008). Fitzgerald and Boldin are mutants. Remember the receivers that Warner had with the greatest show on turf? These guys are bigger and better.

On the other side, the Arizona defense has been underrated all season long. They were among the top units in the entire NFL in takeaways. They already have 7 interceptions so far in the postseason (although I'd be shocked if Donovan McNabb helped them out the same way Jake DelHomme did). I love the way they play, and every time I watch them I'm shocked at how underrated they are (Dansby, Okeafor, Berry, Wilson, DR-C).

Finally, the Cardinals always play well at home. This game sold out fast, so it should be loud. We all know that Kurt Warner requires near-artificial conditions, completely free of any wind, cold, or precipitation to throw the ball well. There could not be a more perfect place for this game to be taking place than in Arizona.

The Cards offense looks unstoppable. They will be playing at home. They'll be getting one of their superstars back. I just don't understand how they could be underdogs in this one.


Pittsburgh (-1) over Baltimore: I hate to say it, but I just don't see Baltimore winning this one. You could talk to me all day about the Raven's defense (which I respect a great deal), and you will not convince me that they are better than this Pittsburgh defense. Joe Flacco has a bright future, but he will not move the chains against these guys. That Baltimore defense looks beat up. I get the sense that Baltimore has proven their point. People were ignoring them. Now they have their respect. In a snowy, frigid night game in Pittsburgh, I'm taking the Steelers. I hope I'm wrong.

Can Steph Help the C's Get Their Swagger Back? Plus..the Playoff Picks

Don't try and convince yourself, that was not a close game last night. The setting was perfect for them to make a statement, and because of that it would have been nice to see a sense of urgency. Even if they hadn't been sliding, this was a huge game. I had it circled in December, during the midst of a huge winning streak, because I knew Cleveland was right on our heels (those were good days..) and I knew that this was a possible Eastern Conference Finals matchup. This should have been one of the most epic games of this regular season. And yet, the only player on the court that seemed to grasp the magnitude of the night was LeBron James.


Now, I'm not panicing by any means. Kelly Dwyer has been saying this week that what we're seeing from the Celtics is "regression to the mean". I like the way that sounds. Normal NBA teams go through these types of skids. But, something happened this morning that I never expected:


I woke up, got out of bed, and said to myself "man, we NEED Stephon Marbury."


I was livid when I first read the reports that the Celtics were interested in bringing Marbury on board. But, this morning, it makes sense. They said on the radio last night that Rondo has been in a lot of pain from being knocked hard to the floor so many times. We're not even halfway through the season. He's going to need some stretches in which he plays fewer minutes. On top of that, although he did have a stretch earlier this year where he looked like the best point man in the East, Rondo is still a work in progress.

Marbury would give the Celtics a guy that could play a lot of minutes when Rondo struggles. Additionally, he will keep defenses more honest than Rondo or House can. Teams cannot leave him open to shoot as they do with Rondo, and yet he can create offense and handle the ball better than House can. In fact, he could be very dangerous on the floor with the starting unit.

Marbury's "cancer" effect is well documented (if you haven't read this yet, get on it!). But, I'm not really concerned that he will be able to negatively change the chemistry of this team. The leadership is too solid. On top of that, who in the NBA has more to prove than Marbury (you could argue several people here, but just stick with me)? The guy DOES NOT WANT to be a cancer. He grew up devoting his life to basketball. I'm sure it kills him that he has developed this reputation. I think the sense of rejection that he felt from the Knicks this season really hurt him and led to the actions that we're seeing (sorry, I've been attending native american peacemaking circle training for the past two days and I am going for the final day in about 15 minutes). I think he will be ecstatic to be joining such a great organization, and I think he will be happy to contribute.

I have heard several people on the radio make the "Manny to the Dodgers" comparison. That doesn't work that well for me. I think Randy Moss to the Patriots is a more accurate comparison. The Oakland Raiders and the New York Knicks parallel one another in many eerie ways. Marbury is a real talent, and I think he would relish the opportunity to join forces with guys like KG, Pierce, and Ray Allen (as Moss felt with Tom Brady). This is a shot at redemption for him.

So, there it is. I'm crying out for Stephon Marbury. We need some swagger back. We need to shake it up. I also really, really hope PJ Brown is working out right now and that he and Danny Ainge have already had phone conversations about when exactly he will be joining the team, but only time will tell.






The Picks:

TITANS OVER RAVENS: This is going to be a battle, but I expect the Titans to run on Baltimore. The Titans will lock down McLain and Mcgahee.

CAROLINA OVER ARIZONA: The line is something insane (I think 9.5) on this one. I don't expect it to be that lopsided, but Williams and Stewart will keep Carolina's offense on schedule.

GIANTS OVER EAGLES: A new season starts now for the Giants. If you've actually been watching the Eagles, they aren't that scary. If Philly plays the game they played last week, the G-Men will run away with this one.

SAN DIEGO OVER PITTSBURGH: The Steelers can't protect Ben Roethlisberger, and I don't think their offense will be able to do anything against the Chargers, who have just the right kind of momentum right now.